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Maserati Levante Review

Maserati Levante Tested July 2017

Rating

Quick Summary

Recommended. Maserati backs up with showy looks with performance.

Road Test

Maserati has a long heritage of top luxury and sports cars but it couldn’t resist jumping on the SUV bandwagon. And who can blame it – the segment continues to be growing rapidly and every big manufacturer wants a slice of it. The question is has Maserati done it right?

And, let’s be honest, you’d expect a luxury SUV to have all of that. Optional bells and buttons include bigger alloys, all-round camera, adaptive cruise, heated seats, ventilated seats and a hands-free tailgate.

The interior is sublime, there's plenty of room in the back and lots of tech on board, including an excellent integrated touch screen system, lane departure warning, collision warning systems and so on.

You can also have sound systems from premium names like Harman Kardon and Bowers & Wilkins. But, more than all of this, it drives pretty well, too. Maserati has a sporting bloodline and it shows with handling that's really rather precise and rewarding, yet married to a comfortable ride.

The 3.0-litre V6 diesel, with 275hp, has plenty of pull and it's a smooth, torquey drive. It’s good for 142mph and 62mph in 6.9 seconds. You still get a reasonable 39 to the gallon as well.

It’s this engine that’s likely to sell the most – it’s a balance of power and economy – but there are options for the petrolheads as well. The 3.0 twin turbo V6 petrol can be had in either 350hp or 430hp outputs, with the latter hitting 62mph in 5.2 seconds, which certainly gives a supercharged Range Rover Sport a run for its money.

So, yes, it is a bit of fashion accessory, but it backs up the show with plenty of go and it's a rewarding car to drive.